The present invention relates to the subject of dental implants and, more particularly, a system for the securement of the prosthetic component of a dental system to a mandible implant.
In the prior art of dental implant technology, a long-standing problem has been that of assuring that the dental prosthesis, once secured to the implant, will not shift relative thereto. As is shown in the FIG. 1 view of the prior art, it has been well-known to employ what is termed a hex-type connection for purposes of securement of the abutment of a dental prosthesis to the implant body. This arrangement, as is more fully described in the Detailed Description of the Invention, employs a long threaded interface which after securement between the abutment and the implant, does not afford any means for the relief of pressures, stresses and forces upon the threaded interface between the abutment and the implant, It has, over the years during which dental implants have been used, been determined that the threads of such an implant system (which are typically formed of titanium) become exceedingly brittle such that, in the absence of a mechanism for the release or diffusion of stresses, strains and the like, chipping and abrading of the threaded junction will inevitably occur.
In addition to prior art systems of the type of FIG. 1, there has, further, been employed the so-called bevel junction which is shown in the view of FIG. 2, Although this geometry affords some advantages with respect to the uppermost aspects thereof, it does not address the basic problem of the implant-abutment junction, namely, that of the extended threaded interface which is vulnerable to chipping, abrasion, other forms of fracturing, metal transfer, and generalized material migration. These factors mean that such a junction cannot efficiently diffuse the prosthetic stresses between the abutment and the implant which are an aspect of normal use of any such system, This circumstance operates to increase the probability of external or internal failure of the entire prosthesis-implant system.
In addition, as can be well imagined, the abutment/implant interface will, over the estimated ten-year life of a prosthesis-implant system, be subject to not only stresses, strains and impacts but, as well, to metabolically-generated organic molecules that are capable of entering and attacking the junction between the abutment and the implant at the line at which said junction, which is near to the mandible into which the implant, has been secured.
This invention has, accordingly, developed in response to the above stated problems of efficiency and durability of prior art prosthetic-implant systems.